Cutters break ice on St. Clair River

Boats clear path for current, prevent high water levels

Feb. 23, 2010

BREAKING UP: Canadian Coast Guard cutter Samuel Risley clears ice Monday from the gas dock just north of Stag Island on the St. Clair River. The cutter is fueling up before heading out to break ice south of Stag Island.

Written by

LIZ SHEPARD
Times Herald

Two icebreakers battled thick brash ice Monday in an attempt to clear the plugged St. Clair River and prevent flooding.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Galen Witham said this year's long cold stretches resulted in the thick ice, the worst since the 1980s. The jammed river has resulted in a rise in water level along the river and canals and a drop in water level in Lake St. Clair.

Witham said the drop in the lake causes damage to docks and marinas, which require the water pressure to hold up seawalls. ...